Belts closed in an endless manner represent annular elements which can be used for example as drive belts such as V-belts, for example, for power transmission. However, they can also be used as conveyor belts in order to transport for example loose bulk materials. They can also be used as caterpillar tracks in order to move the vehicle around in the case of tracked vehicles.
Belts of this type generally run around a drive and further guide or support rollers, in order to transmit the drive power to an output element (V-belt), in order to utilize the drive power for transporting material (conveyor belt) or to move a vehicle around (caterpillar track). To this end, these belts have a predetermined elasticity, which can be achieved for example by the use of an elastomeric material, for example rubber, as the base material of the belt. Moreover, these belts usually have one or more strength members in the longitudinal direction for transmitting the tensile forces in the running direction of the belt. These strength members may be steel cables, for example, which allow particularly high force transmission, although textile fabrics are also typical as strength members.
Belts of this type can be produced, for example as V-belts, to some extent in an already closed manner. In most cases, for example as conveyor belts or caterpillar tracks, the belts are produced in a usually open manner, that is, as an elongate body, on account of their length in the longitudinal direction, and are also transported to the site of application in this state. They are then closed in an endless manner there. In the process, a belt can be closed in an inherently endless manner via its two ends, or at least two belt segments can be arranged one after the other and be conjointly closed in an endless manner to form one belt. Closing in an endless manner can take place for example by the two ends being joined together by vulcanization, but this precludes nondestructive separation of the ends and thus opening of the belt, for instance in the case of wear or damage. Furthermore, this requires a great deal of effort at the application site.
Therefore, it is known for the ends of the strength members to be left free of elastomeric material, or not to be covered, at the two ends of the open belt, and for these ends to be connected mechanically. This can take place, for example, in that the respective ends are clamped in a respectively common coupling element and the two coupling elements are connected together, for example in a hinge-like manner, via a coupling bar. As a result of this mechanical clamping connection being divided between two coupling elements which are then rotatable with respect to one another as a joint, the flexibility of the belt as a whole is intended to be limited as little as possible. This may be required in particular in the case of tight deflection radii.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,770,394 B2 and U.S. Pat. No. 9,506,526 B2 show a belt made of an elastomeric material having a strength member ply made of steel cables that extend in the longitudinal direction of the belt and are arranged parallel to one another. The ends of the steel cables are each clamped in a force-fitting manner by press-fitting in a connecting element in the form of a belt-end body. The two connecting elements each have crenelated protrusions that are directed toward one another and laterally overlap one another and are provided with transverse bores. A coupling bar, with regard to which the two belt-end bodies can rotate with respect to one another, can be passed through the transverse bores. As a result, the belt is closed in an endless manner and the two belt ends are coupled together in a hinge-like manner.
A drawback here is that the belt-end bodies can warp as a result of the press-fitting during the clamping of the ends of the steel cables. This can result in increased wear to the hinge-like coupling, since the protrusions can rub against one another. As a result, the protrusions, and also the bores in the joint, can become weakened to such an extent that the hinge-like coupling can tear.